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Corvair story for erco...

Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,411
in General Discussion Vote Up0Vote Down
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2016/06/22/tony-dow-reunited-with-his-162-chevrolet-corvair-after-51-years/

Tony Dow reunited with his 1962 Chevrolet Corvair after 51 years
Actor Tony Dow has been reunited with an old friend that he never expected to see again.

Not Jerry Mathers -- the two “Leave it to Beaver” stars are still in touch -- but the 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Spyder he bought as his first car when he was on the show at age 16.
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  • 36 Comments sorted by Date Added Votes
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 9,944
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    Another happy ending.
    Infernal Machine
  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
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    Publison wrote: »
    Another happy ending.

    Awesome! There are many Corvair stories, not all end happily!

    Reminds me a bit of "Papa John" (of Pizza fame) and his wild ride with his 1971 Camaro. Sold & lost & found & lost & found...

    http://www.maxim.com/rides/papa-johns-golden-camaro-lost-found-then-lost-again

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/officials-papa-johns-camaro-stolen-detroit-area-show-025600338.html?ref=gs

    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,290
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    "The married Dow jokingly told KFMB TV he’ll take it to Bob’s Big Boy and try to pick up girls like he used to. Not that he was ever successful."

    Well, if he's in San Diego as the news suggests, he'll have a double-hard time, as there are no longer any Bob's Big Boys in this town.

    Wonder if you can pick up chicks at an Olive Garden?
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
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    I remember seeing a corvair drop its engine right in the road, in front of the house I lived in as a kid in Akron, OH. Winter salt applications take their tole on vehicles here, should have seen the dumbfounded look on the occupants, guess its not uncommon for certain model's.
  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
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    erco wrote: »
    Awesome! There are many Corvair stories, not all end happily!
    MikeDYur wrote: »
    I remember seeing a corvair drop its engine right in the road, in front of the house I lived in as a kid in Akron, OH. Winter salt applications take their tole on vehicles here, should have seen the dumbfounded look on the occupants, guess its not uncommon for certain model's.

    Just the kind of unhappy ending I'm talking about: dropped engine mounts, dropped valve seats, oil leaks, overheating, oversteering, thrown fan belts, unique-unavailable-discontinued parts, Corvair has got it all! It's an adventure just going somewhere!



    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
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    erco wrote: »
    erco wrote: »
    Awesome! There are many Corvair stories, not all end happily!
    Just the kind of unhappy ending I'm talking about: dropped engine mounts, dropped valve seats, oil leaks, overheating, oversteering, thrown fan belts, unique-unavailable-discontinued parts, Corvair has got it all! It's an adventure just going somewhere!




    Sorry erco, But I remember seeing another one on the side of the highway in Akron, the engine was about ten feet behind the car, they must have dragged the engine out of the road, that is why I thought it wasn't an uncommon event.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,290
    edited June 2016 Vote Up0Vote Down
    erco wrote: »
    ... oil leaks, overheating, oversteering, thrown fan belts...

    Yep. It was the oversteering that wrote the obit page for Ernie Kovacs. That and probably driving too fast for that particular intersection, and not wearing a seatbelt.

    Mind you, I love old cars, but as vehicles for the family, they're not as safe as the mod'ren jalopy. Put one of my grandkids in the car, and it better have airbags and crumble zones. Even with the growing use of yakking/texting while driving, we're still seeing a net decrease in fatalities per miles driven since the bad old days of the 60s and 70s. Back then, with fewer cars, fewer drivers, and fewer miles, you could still count on about 50,000 traffic deaths per year. Last few years it's been in the 32K range. There's less than a quarter the fatalities per driven mile from 50 years ago. A lot of this is due to safer cars.

    So, park that Corvair in the garage, drain the gas, and let it be the conversation piece it was meant to be!

  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
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    Definitely agree with Gordon, safety first and always.

    But there is option #3: Beef it up, do the drag circuit, maybe you can visit Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH.
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  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
    edited June 2016 Vote Up0Vote Down
    My heart is nearly as broken as these poor 'Vairs.

    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • TorTor Posts: 1,910
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    I liked the road hog song..
  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
    edited June 2016 Vote Up0Vote Down
    Jump to 4:15, where this 850-HP Mustang does the world's slowest burnout (is that front brakes only, Jim?) and generates about the same amount of smoke as a rear-engined, oil-burning Corvair does on a typical day.

    @NikosG: This might be a winning smoke generator for your ELEV-8.

    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 9,944
    edited June 2016 Vote Up0Vote Down
    erco wrote: »
    Jump to 4:15, where this 850-HP Mustang does the world's slowest burnout (is that front brakes only, Jim?)

    Power Braking is when you use the brakes with an automatic car to build engine rpm before launching. Basically the car is in gear and you have a foot on the brake and the other on the gas. The brakes hold the car in place so you can launch at a higher rpm than idle. Mostly this is done in automatic RWD cars to do a burnout without the car moving much. Used to impress the guys and girls at the beach in a 1978 Cutlass.

    Tires were cheaper back then. :)


    Infernal Machine
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 21,772
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    GordonMcComb wrote:
    Wonder if you can pick up chicks at an Olive Garden?
    Sure, as long as they're our age! :)

    -Phil
    “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
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    @Publison,

    An Oldsmobile man, the 442s were something to be reckoned with. My first car was a third hand 1965 Cutlass F85, 330ci V8 4 berral. No tire smoker, but a classic now. Still own a Bravada today, miss the days of simple HP. To bad Old's is history.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 9,944
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    MikeDYur wrote: »
    @Publison,

    An Oldsmobile man, the 442s were something to be reckoned with. My first car was a third hand 1965 Cutlass F85, 330ci V8 4 berral. No tire smoker, but a classic now. Still own a Bravada today, miss the days of simple HP. To bad Old's is history.

    Had a 442 for a year also. Doubled my money.


    Infernal Machine
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,290
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    Publison wrote: »
    Power Braking is when you use the brakes with an automatic car to build engine rpm before launching.

    Looking forward to a world with all electric cars. Stuff like this won't be needed, and you get 0-60 in 3.2 seconds (given the right motor, of course).

  • TorTor Posts: 1,910
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    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    Looking forward to a world with all electric cars. Stuff like this won't be needed, and you get 0-60 in 3.2 seconds (given the right motor, of course).
    Or 1.5 seconds - that may not be entirely comfortable though.
    But probably not for streets. Car's almost as lightweight as the driver..

  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
    edited November 2016 Vote Up0Vote Down
    Early model Corvairs have been vindicated! German engineering at its wurst. :) This 1951 Hoffman has one rear wheel drives and steers, like one of my tricycle bots in reverse. Fun video, just watch out for some language at the end. The guy has other notable cars on his channel.

    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
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    If it is an engine you need for your Corvair erco, why not try an aircraft engine transplant. Carefull of those CA emission standards, this guy has some clean-up to do. You may want to drive to NYC.
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  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
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    Nice, but that might not sneak through a smog check.
    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • MrBi11MrBi11 Posts: 114
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    I was in a friends corvair and as he pulled away from a stop sign my knees suddenly rose above my head, as the passenger seat fell through the floor.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 7,775
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    MrBi11 wrote: »
    I was in a friends corvair and as he pulled away from a stop sign my knees suddenly rose above my head, as the passenger seat fell through the floor.

    LOL, reminds me of a Pinto I drove for a while. Always expected it to fall through the floor when I went over a good bump or the dipsy-doodle on the QEW/Gardiner Expressway. I could feel the floor flexing up and down a few inches while I had a death grip on the steering wheel waiting for the inevitable. Breathed a sigh of relief when I finally took it to the scrap yard.
    In science there is no authority. There is only experiment.
    Life is unpredictable. Eat dessert first.
  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
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    OMG. OMG. OMG.

    A beautiful '65 power top convertible 140 4-speed that has been sitting around gathering dust for 30 years? Not far away from me at all.

    OMG. OMG. OMG.

    I'll give Andy's Toddler back to him and you guys (my bestest buddies) can chip in and buy this for me instead. I promise to Propellerize it!

    OMG. OMG. OMG. Just saw this. Waiting for reply.

    https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/d/chevrolet-corvair-corsa-motor/6208565728.html

    00d0d_OGvjKEckz8_1200x900.jpg
    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,314
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    Erco, how familiar are you with San Gabriel/Rosemead? Almost lost in the deep mist of time, the first stick I ever drove was a corvair a few of us had rebuilt the engine on. I was the only one with a license at the time and looney enough to do it, but I was elected (by default I guess) to test drive it. This was early '75, and it was a blue and rust wonder. The wonder that 1, it actually ran and there was a good slope I remember on Walnut Grove Ave, turning onto Sab Gabriel Blvd of course catching the red light at the top, 2, did not get stopped for any of a dozen valid reasons and 3, if our antics were known, they were not acted upon. Forgot all about this one!
    Ordnung ist das halbe Leben
    I gave up on that half long ago.........
  • msrobotsmsrobots Posts: 1,879
    edited August 2017 Vote Up0Vote Down
    come on Guys, it even has the telescopic steering column, so @erco will not get hurt.

    what is with all of the 2$ for the erco finds? All of the china addicts, come on, chime in.

    He even has already a parts car, sitting and waiting to help out.

    We really need to help @erco here, he can't ride bicycles for the rest of his life, think about the twins, they need him!

    Its a perfect vehicle for @erco, and for longer distances he still can use his bikes.

    I am in, just for the fun of it.

    GoFoundMe?

    even Kickstarter would work.

    For $1,000 you have to do two test drives.

    For $500 you have to do 1 test drive.

    $50-$10 enter a lottery.

    not all of them will have to drive in it...

    Enjoy!

    Mike

    I am just another Code Monkey.
    A determined coder can write COBOL programs in any language. -- Author unknown.
    Press any key to continue, any other key to quit

    The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this post are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.
  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
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    First prize: a Corvair.
    Second prize: two Corvairs!

    :)

    An astute observation about that telescopic steering column, Mike! They became standard on my 1967. I did not know they were an option in 1965.
    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,290
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    This looks like a beaut.

    Erco will not get hurt in a crash because the Corvair's doors will spring open on impact and he'll be thrown to safety.

    Seriously, this appears to be a nice showcar, and would be the envy of any classic car buff. Price seems right, though the fact that it's sat for 30 years is a bit troublesome (and probably why they only want $6.5K). Every seal, every bit of rubber, anything that degrades in such manner will have to be inspected, and likely replaced. I'd also worry that the oil is just one hunk of dried varnish.

    OTOH, maybe if it doesn't run our Erco will be okay. Nadar said unsafe at any speed, but he said nothing about 0 MPH.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,290
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    Oh, on top of that, I see it has the "4 SPEED MANUEL TRANSMISSION." I prefer the 5-SPEED GIOVANI TRANSMISSION, but you can't have everything.
  • ercoerco Posts: 18,950
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    I'm starting to wonder if it's a late April fool's gag. No response from seller yet, price seems too good. Paint looks too shiny for something sitting around for 30 years.

    OTOH, if it's real, shut up and take my money!
    "When you make a thing, a thing that is new, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly. But those that make it after you, they don’t have to worry about making it. And they can make it pretty, and so everybody can like it when others make it after you."

    - Pablo Picasso
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 9,944
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    Will he trade a Cessna ? :)
    Infernal Machine
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